Crew Information (References:- NAA Service File A9300 for Friend; crew arrival forms in aircraft loss files; 462 Squadron ORB.)
Walter Donald Friend, 421196 RAAF, Pilot and Captain of Crew 36 (some dates vary by a day or two, for the same event on different documents).
August 1940 – Private, Service Number N18157, 30 Battalion, Militia, position Driver; served in the Army for 9 months to January 1942, when released from the Army to enlist in the RAAF.
04 August 1941 – enrolled in the RAAF Reserve at No 2 Recruiting Centre, Sydney; aged 19 yrs and 2 months; single, of Willoughby, New South Wales; was serving as Private/Driver N18157 in 30 Battalion, Militia; his civilian employment was Bank Clerk at the Union Bank, Castlereagh, Sydney; education to Intermediate level; height 5ft 7in; weight 9st 7lb; medical classification A.1.B. and A.3.B.
31 January 1942 – enlisted in RAAF at 2 RC Sydney; aged 19 years & 8 months; other details as per enrolment form; classified as AC2 on enlistment; mustered as Aircrew V; posted to 2 Initial Training School (ITS), Bradfield Park, NSW, in Course 26 (P); next of kin Walter Percy Friend, father, of Willoughby; medical classification A.1.B. and A.3.B., Fit for Full Flying Duties. (Photo at enlistment shown above.)
18 May 1942 – remustered as Aircrew V (P).
20 June 1942 – remustered as Aircrew 2 (P); promoted to LAC.
25 June 1942 – posted to 8 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), Narrandera, NSW, flying in D.H.82 aircraft for 81 hrs.
21 September 1942 – posted to 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Point Cook, Victoria, Course 26 (P), flying in Oxford aircraft for 122 hrs 5 m.
14 January 1943 – awarded Pilot's Flying Badge; promoted to Temp Sgt, and remustered as Airman Pilot.
15 January 1943 – posted to 2 ED, Bradfield Park, NSW.
27 February 1943 – posted to 1 ED, Ascot Vale, Melbourne, Victoria (22 February on one document).
06 March 1943 – embarked from Melbourne, Australia for the UK; attached to RAF, UK.
17 April 1943 – disembarked in UK.
18 April 1943 – posted to 11 Personnel Despatch & Reception Centre (PDRC), Brighton UK (or 19 April 1944).
23 May 1943 – attached to RAF Station Bridgnorth, Shropshire, for No 6 Course, to 9 June 1943, while posted to 11 PDRC.
18 June 1943 – attached to 1 EFTS, Holwell Hyde, Hertfordshire, flying in D.H.82 aircraft for 42 hrs 55m, to 9 July 1943.
14 July 1943 – promoted to Temp F/Sgt.
21 July 1943 – posted to 50 Group Pool; attached to 10 FIS (? EIS) Woodley, Berkshire, for EFI (?) Course, flying in D.H.82 aircraft for 67 hrs 40 m, to 7 October 1943.
07 October 1943 – posted to 11 PDRC, Brighton.
02 November 1943 – posted to 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (3 (P) AFU), South Cerney, Gloucestershire, flying in Oxford aircraft for 80 hrs 45 m, to 11 April 1944.
07 February 1944 – attached to 1539 B.A.T. Flight, to 29 February 1944, while posted to 3 (P) AFU.
11 April 1944 – posted to 27 OTU, Lichfield, training in Wellington III aircraft for 78 hrs 30m; here a crew of 6 would have formed (without a Flight Engineer).
20 June 1944 – discharged on being granted a Commission.
21 June 1944 – Commission and promotion to Pilot Officer (back-dated, or interview date recorded incorrectly).
23 June 1944 – F/Sgt Friend interviewed by AOC 93 Group and recommended to a Commission.
07 July 1944 – posted to 41 Base, Aircrew Training School, Acaster-in-Malbis, Yorkshire, No 4 Group.
31 July 1944 – posted to 41 Base, 1658 HCU, Riccall, Yorkshire, No 4 Group for conversion to Halifax II aircraft, flying for 44 hrs 55m; here the Flight Engineer would have joined the crew, to make an aircrew of seven.
16 September 1944 – posted to 462 Squadron Driffield, Yorkshire, No 4 Group, Bomber Command; operational flying duties in Halifax aircraft.
17 October 1944 – P/O Friend posted N/E sick,and admitted to SSQ Driffield, then transferred to RAF Officers Hospital Cleveleys, Blackpool; discharged on 16 November 1944; readmitted on 8 December 1944.
21 December 1944 – promotion to Flying Officer.
11 January 1945 – posted to ACDU Keresley Grange, Coventry UK.
10 February 1945 – posted to 11 PDRC, Brighton (or 14 Feb)
09 April 1945 – disembarked Sydney, ex Overseas; posted to 2 ED.
12 September 1945 – discharged from RAAF at Rank of Flying Officer.
All Character
and Trade Proficiency at all Musterings rated as VG (Very Good) and RP (Recommended for Promotion).
General Conduct Sheet and Service Conduct Sheet – all postings "certified No Entry".
Leave forms show a range of leave types and times:- inter-station, ordinary, kitting, Privilege, and sick leave.
Aircraft flown by Friend – D.H.82, Oxford, Wellington III, Halifax II and III, as well as Miles Master and Miles Magister aircraft (training location not noted).
Eligible for Returned from Active Service Badge.
08 September 1949 – applied for Enrolment in the Citizen Air Force Reserve, signing the Oath at Crow's Nest, NSW; rank as F/O; currently married, civil occupation Bank Officer in the Union Bank of Australia at Crow's Nest, NSW; no medical disabilities.
Summary for Crew 36
11 April 1944 or thereabouts – 27 OTU, Lichfield – soon after posting here, the crew of 6 would have formed, training in Wellington aircraft.
07 July 1944 – crew of 6 posted to 41 Base, Aircrew Training School, Acaster-in-Malbis, Yorkshire.
31 July 1944 – crew of 6 posted to 41 Base, 1658 HCU, Riccall, Yorkshire, No 4 Group for conversion to Halifax aircraft; here the Flight Engineer would have joined the crew, to make an aircrew of seven.
16 September 1944 – crew of seven posted to 462 Squadron Driffield, Yorkshire, No 4 Group, Bomber Command; operational flying duties in Halifax aircraft. The Air Crew Arrival Forms (at 462 Squadron, Driffield) for Isaac, Fuller, Swarbrick, Minett, and Sanday are all dated 16 September 1944 on posting from 1658 Conversion Unit, Riccall, which match with Pilot Friend's Service File entry. The Arrival form for Reed has not been sighted. The ORB Form 540 Administration for 15 September 1944 states "P/O Friend and crew, reported to the Squadron for flying duties, on posting from No. 1658 Conversion Unit."
14/15 October 1944 – Rear Gunner Reed flew with Crew 23, Pilot/Captain Cookson, as substitute for their usual Gunner W E Toews, R.278376 RCAF; flying in Halifax MZ296 which was lost over Belgium. All crew returned safely, some with injuries. This event is described in the Cookson Crew page.
17 October 1944 – P/O Friend posted N/E sick, leaving crew 36 without a Pilot/Captain.
12 December 1944 – Pilot Officer Alan Edwin Astill was posted to 462 Squadron Driffield from 1663 Conversion Unit (7 Group). He became the Captain of the crew formerly captained by P/O Friend. This crew then became known as Crew 52.
14 January 1945 – Astill and his Crew 52 (Swarbrick, Minett, Fuller, Sanday, Isaac, Reed, and a F/Eng carrying out Special duties, Sgt Leslie Edward Miles 1894484 RAFVR) were flying in Halifax LL598 which crashed soon after take-off. Only Sanday and Reed survived. This event will be covered in the Astill Crew page.
24 February 1945 – Ely and his Crew 39, with Flight Engineer Sanday in the role of Special Duties, were flying in Halifax MZ461 which failed to return from an OP to Neuss, Germany. There were with no survivors in this crew of eight. This event will be covered in the Ely Crew page.
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Ops for Crew 36 Basic details as listed in Air Ministry File "Schedule of Flying Times" in F/O Friend's Service File, Tour commenced on 28 September 1944; additional information from the 462 Squadron ORB for September and October 1944:-
30 September 1944 – Op 1
Target Bottrop, 4 hrs 40m, Friend as 2nd Pilot; 14 aircraft detailed and airborne; all aircraft were up between 0930 and 1004, and all landed between 1407 and 1428. Due to weather conditions over target area (10/10ths cloud cover), no aircraft were able to bomb the primary, all attacked alternative targets, defences were moderate, and six aircraft were slightly damaged by H/F but all returned safely. (None of the 14 aircraft listed in the ORB have a 2nd Pilot listed, and all 14 have crews of 7 named. It appears that Friend's name was omitted from the record. The 462 Squadron ORB does not include the other members of Friend's crew in the Form 541 entries for 30 September 1944.)
06 October 1944 – Op 2
Target Sterkrade, 5 hrs 11 m; as 1st Pilot; Friend and Crew (as named above) in Halifax III LL610; up at 1422 and down at 1933; Bombed primary target from 17,500 ft, bombed visually on M. B.'s instructions, slightly overshot; Photographic report of T/A; one of 18 squadron aircraft for Bombing attack on target Sterkrade; 17 aircraft became airborne, 15 attacked the target, one attacked an alternative target, and one returned early due to engine trouble; several were damaged due to heavy flak over the target; three landed away; (McGindle and crew, NP990 Z5-L, 2 of crew baled out, another 2 injured, aircraft landed at Woodbridge, see story on page for McGindle); results of bombing were considered good in spite of the heavy opposition.
07 October 1944 – Op 3
Target Kleve, 4 hrs 35m; as 1st Pilot; Friend & crew (as named above) in Halifax III NP971; up at 1200 and down at 1635. Bombed primary target from 13,000 ft at 1419 hours; landed away at Hardwick; Photographic report of T/A; one of 12 squadron aircraft for bombing attack on target Kleve; all attacked and returned safely. Weather was poor, with low cloud & misty rain so all returning aircraft (except one) were diverted to Bungay (RAF Hardwick airfield, where this crew landed, was 5m/8km west of Bungay, Norfolk.)
Total Ops
Pilot Friend – 3 daytime Ops, 14 hrs 26 m flying time (9 hrs 45 m as 1st Pilot, & 4 hrs 40 m as 2nd Pilot).
Remainder of this crew with this Pilot – 2 daytime ops (9 hrs 45 m).
For both of the Ops on 6 and 7 October, F/Sgt S J Minett was incorrectly recorded as F/Sgt S J Minott; and Sgt G A E Sanday was incorrectly recorded as Sgt C A Sanday. Also on 6 October, F/Sgt M G Isaac's Service number was initially typed as 533727 then over-typed to correct it to 433727.
Training flights most likely occurred, but are not listed for this crew in the ORB.
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